Sweet girl becoming reactive

In the last month or so, Sunny has been, barking at, running after & lunging at other dogs. She has NEVER exhibited this behavior before. It is almost always outside our apartment, usually when it's dark. She is more "on guard" even walking down the hall way, especially in the morning. Any idea's of what I can do & why? She just became a certified therapy dog so I am concerned about this behavior

The age of 2 or thereabouts is when dogs tend to become reactive if they're going to. Dan is basically just noisy, not aggressive, and "leave it" keeps him from being rude on the leash. He'll do a sit/stay while I pet another dog just a couple of feet away or Sunnie visits with a friend. Investigate using "leave it" and see what happens.

You might take her to the vet. Rule out pain, vision and hearing issues before you jump to behavioral strategies. It's not uncommon for dogs to become sound sensitive as they age. Is this something you're seeing? If she checks out physically, you might look at talking to a veterinary certified behaviorist and some Reactive Rover classes (only taught by a veterinary certified behaviorist). Sometimes dogs become this way because of their owners. If you are a worrier, for example, she might be reacting to your lack of confidence. It's hard to know unless someone experienced can point that out for us. Some dogs really need a confident leader (NOT to be confused with being alpha, Cesar Milan junk).

Dr. Amy Cook is awesome. She teaches online classes at Fenzi Dog Sport Academy. She has two classes starting December 1. One is for reactive dogs and one is for sound sensitive dogs. You might reach out to her first, explain your situation, and ask her if the class would be appropriate for your dog. I know of a ton of people who have taken it with good results. She was also just out for a seminar locally and everyone loved her. I did not attend because I do not have these issues, but people I know who did were thrilled.

Enrollment starts tomorrow, so I'd reach out to her today. Working spots fill for this class pretty quickly. Or, you can always just audit. It's a great deal at $65.

Good advice. thanks. It's hard to figure out because if we are at the dog park, she interacts very little, so I'm not sure it's that she wants to interact. She seems more kind of hyper vigilant.

It could be some anxiety making itself known....that's what it is with Dan. Sunnie's anxiety with other dogs is selective....size and demeanor determine who she's OK with (and if she's not OK, she'll growl and back up). Dan is definitely of the "best defense is a good offense" frame of mind. He mostly doesn't want dogs coming up to him....or on his own property. Mostly.

Neither of mine would be good dog park dogs. Even friendly Sunnie can't handle multiple dogs unless they're a good bit smaller than she is.

[QUOTE=Labradorks;177988]You might take her to the vet. Rule out pain, vision and hearing issues before you jump to behavioral strategies. It's not uncommon for dogs to become sound sensitive as they age. Is this something you're seeing? If she checks out physically, you might look at talking to a veterinary certified behaviorist and some Reactive Rover classes (only taught by a veterinary certified behaviorist). Sometimes dogs become this way because of their owners. If you are a worrier, for example, she might be reacting to your lack of confidence. It's hard to know unless someone experienced can point that out for us. Some dogs really need a confident leader (NOT to be confused with being alpha, Cesar Milan junk).

Dr. Amy Cook is awesome. She teaches online classes at Fenzi Dog Sport Academy. She has two classes starting December 1. One is for reactive dogs and one is for sound sensitive dogs. You might reach out to her first, explain your situation, and ask her if the class would be appropriate for your dog. I know of a ton of people who have taken it with good results. She was also just out for a seminar locally and everyone loved her. I did not attend because I do not have these issues, but people I know who did were thrilled.

Enrollment starts tomorrow, so I'd reach out to her today. Working spots fill for this class pretty quickly. Or, you can always just audit. It's a great deal at $65.

Dr. Amy Cook[
/QUOTE]
this has just happened in the last month or so, & I am very perplexed by it. She is normally, super laid back & very obedient. It started with running out the door for her pee breaks, when before she just stood there quietly. ( I guess I should start that again) then it was trotting down the hallways in a dominant type stance. Its like she is waiting for something to surprise her. I bring her to work and she is not reactive. dog park, non reactive, out in the woods, non reactive. Its just around our apartment. I have gone back to keeping her on leash & if she reacts I say leave it. I am calm too.........I have done some dog training with another trainer. I shadowed her so I learned a lot but I mostly learned that I don't know much!! LOL
thanks for all the advice. I will look up Dr. Cook